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Diving off Christmas Island. Credit: Basel Imagery

Ecotourism Australia Privacy Policy

Ecotourism Australia Limited is a member based public company (limited by guarantee) registered under the Corporations Act 2001.

Ecotourism Australia Limited is committed to protecting user privacy. We understand and appreciate that visitors and users are concerned about their privacy and the confidentiality and security of any information that may be provided.

Ecotourism Australia Limited is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and has publicly committed to complying with the Act and protect the privacy of the personal information that Ecotourism Australia Limited holds.

This Privacy Policy explains:

  • what personal information we collect
  • how we collect and use your personal information
    disclosure
  • newsletter consent
  • your right of access to your personal information
  • your right to inspect and, where necessary, correct the personal information that we hold about you
  • your right to have your privacy complaints investigated and resolve
  • your right to have your personal information protected from misuse or unauthorised access

This policy applies to independent contractors and job applicants, as well as individuals who provide Ecotourism Australia Limited with their personal information.

What personal information do we collect?

Personal information is any information that can be used to identify a person no matter how it is collected or recorded. Generally, personal information is collected by Ecotourism Australia Limited from a variety of sources, including when dealing with members or customers, when dealing with individuals, undertaking marketing initiatives, or when recruiting.

Should we collect personal information from you this may include (but is not limited to) your name, address, email address, telephone numbers, financial information including credit card and banking information, and other means of personal identification.

Ecotourism Australia Ltd does not collect ‘sensitive personal data’, as defined by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

How do we collect personal information?

Where possible, we collect your personal information directly from you. If you feel that the information that we are requesting, either from our website (www.ecotourism.org.au and mycertification.eco), on our forms, or in our discussions with you, is not information that you wish to provide, please feel free to raise this with us.

In some circumstances, Ecotourism Australia Limited may obtain personal information from a third party. If you provide personal information about another person to Ecotourism Australia Limited, Ecotourism Australia Limited requires that you inform that person you have done so and provide them with a copy of this policy.

When dealing with membership, fulfilling your registrations to certification or events, or purchasing Products or Services, Ecotourism Australia Limited will collect at a minimum the following:

  • name of the contact person or people from the organisation
  • business address and contact details
  • nature of products or services being sought for the purposes of filling your order
  • payment details by Credit Card, Invoice or direct debit

We collect information by phone, in writing (e.g. email, fax, letter), and electronically when you register for a certification program, an event, purchase a product from our website www.ecotourism.org.au or complete certification criteria on mycertification.eco or one of our partners’ websites. We will use this information to provide membership, products, and services and may also use it for product development, marketing purposes, and to promote your business and certified products.

When using our website, we collect information from you by using a feature of your browser called a cookie to assign your computer a “User ID”. Cookies do not contain information by which Ecotourism Australia Limited can identify you. They identify your computer to our servers. You may configure your browser so that you are notified before a cookie is downloaded, or to disable cookies. Ecotourism Australia Limited may use information contained in cookies to make assumptions about the user of the computer.

We use a tool called “Google Analytics” to collect information about use of this site. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit this site, what pages they visit when they do so, and what other sites they used prior to coming to this site. We use the information we get from Google Analytics only to improve this site. Google Analytics collects only the IP address assigned to you on the date you visit this site, rather than your name or other identifying information. We do not combine the information collected through the use of Google Analytics with personally identifiable information. Although Google Analytics plants a permanent cookie on your web browser to identify you as a unique user the next time you visit this site, the cookie cannot be used by anyone but Google. Google’s ability to use and share information collected by Google Analytics about your visits to this site is restricted by the Google Analytics Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy. You can prevent Google Analytics from recognizing you on return visits to this site by disabling cookies on your browser.

When dealing with independent contractors, Ecotourism Australia Limited collects the following:

  • name
  • business address and contact details
  • insurance details
  • rates and fees

Ecotourism Australia Limited collects this information by phone and in writing. We will use this information to ensure that our independent contractors can perform work for Ecotourism Australia Limited in a safe and lawful manner.

When dealing with job/intern/volunteer applicants, Ecotourism Australia Limited collects the following:

  • name
  • date of birth
  • address/contact details
  • occupation
  • career history
  • references

Ecotourism Australia Limited collects this information in the course of job/intern/volunteer interviews, telephone discussions, reference checks and in writing. Ecotourism Australia Limited will use this information to assess the suitability of applicants for a position. In the event that the application is rejected, Ecotourism Australia Limited may keep the information to use in the event that an appropriate vacancy arises.

How we use the information you provide?

We will not use your personal information for any purpose which is not related to the primary purpose for which it is collected. We will not use your personal information for any purpose for which you would not reasonably expect us to use your personal information.

Your personal information may also be used:

  • to deliver the products and services that you requested
  • to provide you with further information about the products and services you requested
  • to personalise and customise your experiences with Ecotourism Australia Limited
  • to help Ecotourism Australia Limited to manage and enhance its services
  • to communicate with you
  • for administration purposes, including charging, billing and collecting debts
  • to promote and market other products and services of Ecotourism Australia Limited which we consider may be of interest to you

There may be times when customer information is made available to outside contractors (such as mailing houses or tourism buyers) to assist with the distribution of tourism information. These companies are strictly forbidden to use this information for any other purpose.

We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information that we hold is accurate and up-to-date. If you feel that information about you is not accurate or your details have or are about to change, you can email us at eco@ecotourism.org.au and we will correct or update your personal information.

Newsletter Consent

Newsletter by MailChimp

We use MailChimp to send our newsletter to our subscribers. MailChimp is a service provided by The Rocket Science Group, LLC, 675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Suite 5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA.

The data stored when you registered for the newsletter (email address, name, IP address, and time and date of registration) will be sent to a server operated by The Rocket Science Group in the United States and stored there in accordance with the EU-US Privacy Shield.

Further information about the data protection offered by MailChimp can be found at: http://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/

You may cancel your newsletter subscription and revoke your consent to the storage of this data at any time with future effect. If you are a member, destination or certified operator, note that Mailchimp is our primary means of communication with our members regarding member benefits. For instructions to take this step, please refer to the confirmation email notifying you of your newsletter subscription and each newsletter.

On manually subscribing to our newsletter, you will be asked to consent to the use of your personal data to receive our newsletter as follows:

“I have read the privacy policy and I give my consent to data being processed by a service provider located in the United States”.

We use the newsletter to provide you with regular updates about our offers. To receive our newsletter, you will need a valid email address. MailChimp will then check the email address entered to ensure that you are actually its owner or if its owner has agreed to receive our newsletter. By registering for the newsletter, MailChimp will save your IP address and date and time of registration. This will be used in case a third party misuses your email address to subscribe to our newsletter without your knowledge.

By becoming a member, destination or certified operator with Ecotourism Australia, you are consenting to receive our newsletter and communications distributed via MailChimp and will be automatically subscribed. The information provided to MailChimp to enable your subscription is limited to your name and email address. On registration for membership or certification, you will agree to the terms within this Privacy Policy and to the Ecotourism Australia Ltd Terms and Conditions. You will be notified that you have been subscribed to the newsletter and may unsubscribe at any time.

MailChimp will not compare the data collected during newsletter registration with any other data that might be collected by other components of the site.

Newsletter Tracking

Our newsletter includes web beacons that allow us to recognise if and when an email has been opened and which links in the email have been clicked by its recipient.

This data is stored by us so that we can best align our newsletter to the wishes and interests of our subscribers. Accordingly, the data thus collected may be used to send personalised newsletters to each recipient. By subscribing to our newsletter you consent to the use and electronic storage your personal data and user responses by newsletter tracking for this purpose.

By revoking the consent to receive the newsletter, the consent to the aforementioned tracking is revoked.

When do we disclose your personal information?

We guarantee that we will not sell your personal information to any third party.

For the purposes referred to in this policy, we may disclose your personal information to external organisations including:

  • our professional advisors, accountants, auditors and lawyers;
  • our IT and system administration service providers; and
  • our related entities and companies such as (but not limited to) Protected Area Management (PAM), agencies, buyers / international agents

Ecotourism Australia Limited may also share information on the status of certification and compliance of certified businesses with relevant authorities and partners.

We also engage a third-party contractor to provide online credit card account processing and related services. When you pay your accounts online, a secure server is used. eWay encrypts the information you send through this website. For further information about eWay and how they collect, use and disclose personal information, please go to: https://www.eway.com.au/

Ecotourism Australia Limited makes no warranty in respect of the strength or effectiveness of that encryption and Ecotourism Australia Limited is not responsible or liable for events arising from unauthorised access of the information you provide.

Access to your personal information

You have a right to access your personal information, subject to certain exceptions provided for in the Privacy Act. Access will be provided in accordance with NSW Business Chamber’s Access Policy. If you require access to your personal information, please contact eco@ecotourism.org.au. For security reasons, you will be required to put your request in writing and provide proof of your identity.

Security of your information

We will take all reasonable steps to secure your personal information. Electronic information is protected by various security measures and access to information and databases is restricted, by password protection and physical security measures, to staff and officers of Ecotourism Australia Limited.

Your application and membership with Ecotourism Australia may include access to our online platform (mycertification.eco) or one of our partners’ online platforms using a username and a password. Your password must be chosen carefully and kept confidential and should not be disclosed or shared with anyone. When using our websites, you accept that transmitting information over the Internet and electronic storage is not 100% secure and Ecotourism Australia cannot be held responsible for any breach of security.

In the unlikely event that data security is breached, and members’ personal information is leaked and likely to result in real risk of serious harm, Ecotourism Australia Ltd will report incidents and details to all members likely to be impacted.

Third Party Links

Our website and online platform include links to third-party websites and applications. Ecotourism Australia is not in control of these third parties. The way they collect and share your data will differ from ours.

Written Complaints

If you have a complaint about Ecotourism Australia Limited’s privacy practices, please contact the Chief Executive. Letters of complaint will be acknowledged in writing within 30 days from the date on which the application was received. Ecotourism Australia Limited undertakes to conduct a review and respond to the complaint within 60 days from the date on which the application is received. Applicants will be advised in writing of the outcome.

How to contact us

If you would like more information on privacy or have any questions in relation to this policy please contact eco@ecotourism.org.au.

Ecotourism Australia Limited reserves the right to review, and if necessary, change this Privacy Policy

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